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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0989.PDF
NOVEMBER II, 191 I. The Redivalls Monoplane and Natural Stability. [1417] Mr. W. Le Maitre evidently misunderstands my Redivalls monoplane principle. I wish to point out that H.M. Patent Office did not quote his 1909 patent against my application. Nor can I trace any resemblance of the " Plan of an Aeroplane," included in FLIGHT of November 19th, 1910, over his signature, to my mono plane. My principle is fully described in your valuable publication, dated March 1 ith, this year. I then asserted that " if upset by the wind a bird merely throws out its wings rigidly at a dihedral angle to its body. As it falls the air meets with the resistance of the bird's body as it passes the wing. As the wings are at a dihedral angle the said air meets the resistance of the upper part of the body first, JycH?) Ficm. and naturally turns the body over slightly, thereby commencing the return to the horizontal of the wings." This theory is illustrated in Fig. I. It will be seen that a monoplane or my design has been capsized. In falling, the air, meeting with resistance at the panel, CF, naturally turns the plane, FB, in the direction of K. In Fig. II we find a monoplane of a different design, i.e., central box- kite arrangement placed diamond fashion, and a straight plane. Unless a low C.G. were used this monoplane might fall to the ground vertically owing to the equal righting action of the V-shaped planes, LNOM, or it might turn upside down. There would be nothing to prevent the latter event. It will be noticed that my central planes are larger under the planes than over, in order to counterbalance the effect of a side-wind blowing on panel, CF, plus the side-wind blowing under the plane, BG. Also my irrtgitktr diamond centre is divided into two sections, CFKH and JGDI, by the plane, BJA. When I commenced my model-aeroplane building (very soon after Santos Dumont's historical first flight), I immediately turned my attention to natural lateral stability. The self-righting action of the V-principIe was easily apparent to me. (Who has not seen this principle embodied in a shuttlecock and in a boat ?) Therefore I tried it on a Voisin-type biplane. I omitted the central portion, and inserted a V-shaped plane instead. This (Fig. Ill) biplane righted itself naturally. Had I understood the process then of taking out a patent I might have done so. When I tried the V-principle on a monoplane it turned upsidt down when flown vertically. About this time it occurred to me that, if the resislance of air made an aeroplane rise, then resistance of air could bs made to right it as it fell. So I placed a central panel on the top of a monoplane having a dihedral angle. The resistance to a side-wind offered by this panel being too great, I replaced it by two sloping panels, i.e., in the form of an inverted V. Then, to further counteract the effect of side-wind, I added two more sloping panels. My reason for placing them in the centre was to prevent a weakening of the main plane. It will therefore be seen that my monoplane is really a multiplication of planes having dihedral angles, BFC, CHA, FEII and GDI, which, being more acute than the inverted dihedial angles BGD, DIA and FCH, naturally right my mono plane. To conclude this rather lengthy letter, I desire to add that, by the time these lines appear in print, I hope to have demonstrated the efficiency of my monoplane to the managing-director of a famous aeronautical company with whom I have an appointment. WILL. II. BOOTH ("REDIVALLS"). /?e Naturally-Stable Machine. [1418] Having read with considerable interest the letters of Harold Kelk and Will II. Booth, and having ourselves, for a long time, been experimenting on the lines adopted by these gentlemen, A view from the front of Messrs. Forbes and Arnold's novel machine. Messrs. Forbes and Arnold's full-sized machine which they have built as the result of successful experiments with their models. Two three-quarter views, 391
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